It was in May 2021 that fans of the manga Berserk got punched in the stomach, their creator Kentaro Miura died at the age of 54. Many doubts were raised about the future of the manga, which ended up returning through the hands of the author’s friend, Kouji Moriand the artists of Studio Gagathe studio created by Miura.
In a new interviewthe new writer of Berserk talks about his work on the manga and the difficulty in trying to finish the story.
Kouji Mori stated:
I was worried. In fact, I myself was so shocked by the news of his death that I didn’t even have time to read my own manga. Even though I hadn’t been working for several months, I knew I had to publish the idea for Berserk somewhere, in the form of a novel or book.
At the time, I hadn’t considered the option of “resume serialization of the manga”. However, Miura’s disciples at Studio Gaga, who were serializing the series, said: ‘I’m going to draw the manuscript from the last episode until the end, so I want you to see it.’
I thought it would be impossible, but in fact, chapter 364 (published in Young Animal #18 in September 2021) was so complete that it was difficult to tell which part was Miura’s work and which part was the work of his disciples.
Desperate power sometimes miraculously improves people. We were asked if we could continue the series, and for the first time I had a feeling that we could finish it.
Kouji Mori did not reveal when the manga Berserk will end, but he hinted that he knows how it will end.
I can’t say for sure yet, but I already have an idea of how many years and how many books it will take to complete the project. Even so, when I try to draw it, there are still parts where the story doesn’t make sense. There, everyone speculates and discusses things while solidifying the original work.
Kouji Mori also states that he will never be a replacement for his friend Kentaro Miura:
That’s really how it feels. However, even deciphering it is extremely difficult. Sometimes people complain about me on Twitter. ‘Anyway, Mori wants to do whatever he wants with Berserk, so he’ll add it later, right?’ Absolutely not possible. With my skills, I would never be able to create or draw Berserk.
Kentaro Miura started publishing Berserk in 1989 in Hakusensha’s Monthly Animal House magazine, and later transferred it to Young Animal magazine in 1992, where he continued to publish it until his death in May 2021. The manga inspired a 25-episode anime series adaptation released in October 1997 and produced by the studio OLMas well as a trilogy of films titled Berserk: Ougon Jidai-hen in February 2012, June 2012 and February 2013. The manga was later adapted into an anime by the studio GEMBA in July 2016 with 24 episodes.
Berserk Synopsis
Marked for death and destined to be haunted by demons until the day he dies, Guts embarks on a journey to defy a terrible fate, as waves of beasts pursue him relentlessly. Armed with his determination and his monstrous sword, he swears revenge on whoever is responsible, hunting down the same man he admired and considered a friend. Along the way, he meets some unlikely allies, like a little elf named Puck and Isidro, a young thief who wants to learn how to fight from the former mercenary. As the group slowly comes together after deciding to join Guts on his quest, they will face incredible danger like they have never experienced before.
